Quick answer: Use naturally refined avocado oil when you want a neutral oil for everyday high-heat cooking; extra virgin olive oil or Drizzle for dressings and finishing; ghee where its nutty richness is part of the dish; and mustard oil where its pungency defines the recipe. There's no single winner. The dish decides.
Every kitchen has its loyalties
Ask any Indian family which fat is "best" and you'll get a passionate answer, usually the one their grandmother used. That's not wrong. These fats carry flavour and memory, and some dishes simply aren't the same without them.
Mine was ghee
In my home, the loyal fat was always ghee. Khichdi without a spoon of ghee on top didn't feel like khichdi. These days, though, I'm far more careful about where my ghee comes from, because I want to know what's really in it.
So one evening I tried something I never thought I would: I made khichdi with Essential instead. It turned out wonderfully. The dal and rice tasted like themselves, the jeera and hing came through clearly, and it didn't feel heavy afterwards. Ghee still has its place in my kitchen, but it's no longer the only answer.
So this isn't a ranking. It's a guide to which fat does which job best.
The four at a glance
| Naturally refined avocado oil (Essential) | Extra virgin olive oil | Ghee | Mustard oil | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flavour | Neutral | Fruity, peppery | Nutty, rich | Sharp, pungent |
| Approx. smoke point | ~270°C | ~190°C | ~250°C | ~250°C |
| Main fat type | Mostly monounsaturated | Mostly monounsaturated | Mostly saturated | Mono- and polyunsaturated |
| Shines in | Everyday tadka, sabzi, khichdi, frying, baking | Salads, dips, Mediterranean dishes | Dal makhani, halwa, parathas, festive cooking | Bengali, Punjabi, Kashmiri dishes, pickles |
| Not ideal for | Dishes built on another fat's flavour | Hot Indian tadka and frying | Using as the only everyday fat | Dishes where you want neutral flavour |
Avocado oil: the background player
Naturally refined avocado oil's strength is that you don't notice it. Your jeera, hing and garam masala lead. With a smoke point around 270°C, it handles the heat of a tadka or a kadai of puris with room to spare. That's why we see it as the everyday oil, not a special-occasion one. Drizzle, our cold-pressed version, plays a different role: finishing and dressings, like olive oil.
Olive oil: wonderful, but not for tadka
Extra virgin olive oil is excellent in salads and dips, and its fruity, peppery flavour is the point. In a hot tadka, though, it's near its limit, and its flavour doesn't always belong in Indian food. Lighter, refined olive oils handle more heat but lose that character.
Ghee: flavour, tradition, and knowing your source
Ghee is irreplaceable in some dishes: a dal makhani, a sheera, a festive paratha. It's richer in saturated fat than plant oils, so many families treat it as a flavouring fat rather than the default for every pan. Use ghee where you'll taste it, choose a source you trust, and use a neutral oil for the rest.
Mustard oil: when pungency is the point
In a Bengali maacher jhol, a Punjabi sarson ka saag or a mango pickle, mustard oil isn't a cooking medium; it's an ingredient. Swapping it for a neutral oil changes the dish. Keep using it there.
A practical two-fat kitchen
Most kitchens we know work well with two: one neutral everyday oil for most cooking, and one flavourful fat for the dishes that call for it. For many families, that's Essential plus ghee or mustard oil, with Drizzle as an optional finisher.
Frequently asked questions
Can avocado oil replace ghee?
For heat, yes, and it works beautifully in everyday dishes like khichdi. For a dish built on ghee's nutty richness, keep the ghee.
Can avocado oil replace mustard oil?
It cooks the same way, but it won't give you mustard oil's pungent taste.
Can I use avocado oil instead of olive oil?
Yes. Use Drizzle for dressings and finishing, Essential for heat.
Do I need four fats?
No. A neutral everyday oil plus one flavourful fat covers most Indian cooking.
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— Spoorthi, The Avo Company